French Open tennis - 'Amazing' Rafael Nadal shot leaves Diego Schwartzman scratching his head after point
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Updated 09/06/2021 at 18:03 GMT
Third seed and 13-time champion at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal, left his opponent, Diego Schwartzman, so stunned by one shot that he was left scratching his head in disbelief while the crowd roared on Court Philippe Chatrier. Nadal somehow not only got back a near-certain winner from Schwartzman but won the point with his effort.
'Amazing' Nadal shot leaves Schwartzman scratching his head
Among the many incredible points between Rafael Nadal and Diego Schwartzman, one shot from the Spaniard literally left his opponent scratching his head.
Nadal and Schwartzman served up an absolute treat on Wednesday afternoon in their hotly-anticipated quarter-final clash at Roland Garros.
There were any number of remarkable points as the pair traded stunning efforts from the back of the court, but one Nadal shot was particularly striking.
Schwartzman looked convinced that he had won the point at 3-3 40-15 in the second set, having lost the opener, with a blazing forehand down the line that surely would have beaten most players.
But Nadal not only managed to get it back in play with a reflex sliding backhand that sliced its way over the net but he left Schwartzman unable to make a counter effort.
It was so ridiculous that the Argentine was literally left scratching his head mid-court in disbelief that he had not closed out the game with what felt like a winner down the line.
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Watch the moment Nadal reached French Open semi-finals for 14th time
Eurosport experts Chris Bradnam and Miles Maclagan, who were on commentary at the time, responded in similarly incredulous fashion.
"The angles!" exclaimed Bradnam. "That backhand down the line would have beaten virtually everybody.
I mean, against most players Schwartzman... no wonder he is scratching his head! It's amazing!
Maclagan added: "It's stunning! He didn't back off too much, it's flatter, it's just inside the line, and he still finds himself defending.
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Highlights: Nadal downs Schwartzman to reach semis for 14th time
A huge contest with world number one Novak Djokovic is potentially on the cards for the semi-finals with the winner of this match.
A Nadal v Djokovic clash in the last four would be an encounter fans would love and it would be a repeat from last year's final in the postponed autumnal edition.
In the quarter-finals, Djokovic will next take on another Italian, ninth seed Matteo Berrettini, after he was handed a walkover due to Roger Federer withdrawing from the tournament.
The three most successful players in the history of the men's game have won 17 of the last 20 Grand Slam titles between them.
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Watch all the action from the 2021 French Open live on Eurosport, eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app with 13-time champion Nadal eyeing a remarkable 14th title and the women's draw wide open at Roland Garros in Paris.
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